Comment Archives: Stories: Special Sections
Re: “Does Anyone Remember This TV Show?”
Does anyone remember the show Mars Patrol?
Re: “Best of Memphis”
Best Pornogtraphy and sex toy place:
Paris Adult Movie Theater on Summer Avenue.
Re: “Ella Carver — 73-Year-Old Fire Diver!”
I knew Ella Carver in 1962/63/64,,,she was my Nanny, and my brother and I called her Grandma Ella. She would tell us stories of her diving on horse back and doing the fire dives...and stories about "Doc Carver". We lived across the road from her at the time...she lived in a small trailor with her dog, "Wiggles". I still have one of the dresses that she made for one of my favoirte dolls. I will never forget her....or Wiggles.
Re: “Does Anyone Remember This TV Show?”
I REMEMBER LOONEY ZOO AND TRENT WOOD, I SAW THEM LIVE IN A PARKING LOT ONE SATURDAY AFTERNOON AT A LITTLE STRIP MALL IN MEMPHIS. I GOT THEIR AUTOGRAPHS. WE LOVED WATCHING THE SHOW.
Re: “Best of Memphis”
I agree with most of the top three's. However, I cannot fathom how Pete and Sam's was in the top 10, much less #1. That place was so bad I walked out of it. As for Bensinger's, they have the worst customer service I have ever witnessed at a dry cleaning establishment.
Re: “The Fantastic Hart's Bakery Sign”
I hope someone can remember this. Somewhere in Memphis there was a sign that was a loaf of Hart's bread and the best I can remember it moved back and forth. If I remember correctly, it moved from lower left in an arc to upper right. Again, I remember very little about it but it seems that it may have been located on Crump/Lamar and was facing West, so you saw it coming from Arkansas. I had a first cousin, who if still alive would now be 91. He was an artist and I was told by the family that he designed and/or drew and painted it. I wondered if anyone remembered that loaf.
Re: “The Whirlaway Club”
My dads band - The Senders played there and I remember when I was really small I would watch and listen to them practice before their shows - I loved it. I remember that it was very red velvety in there. I wish there were places like this today. Miss those days and miss seeing my dad perform. I have very fond memories and pics to remind me.
Those were the days.
Re: “Miss McKellar Lake — 1973”
Tori Petty, Paige Petty (sisters), & Donna Hodges were all Kingsbury graduates. Donna is on FB; Tori is in the NashVegas area; Paige works with the radio/TV community here in Memphis and is married to an architect. I took Paige to see the Monkees at the Coliseum! Saw her about 3 or 4 years ago at a visitation for the first time since school days. Great lady! Donna lived 4 doors down from me on Wingfield Road. Her brother Robin is on FB too - a KHS '72 graduate.
Re: “Visiting Memphis in 1940? Then Use This Guide.”
"We" of course being Otp and the voices that have rented out the plentiful extra space found in their cranium.
Re: “Visiting Memphis in 1940? Then Use This Guide.”
Jeff, I and we were treated equally, some worse than others. So, using the term we, when it comes to memories of the good ole days are justified.
Those things I wrote about, I experienced them personally.
Thanks for trying.
Re: “Visiting Memphis in 1940? Then Use This Guide.”
OTP, I find your point of view and memories of Memphis fascinating, but they might not get so many dislikes if they read more like personal memories. I don't mind the vitriol - they give your stories spice, but what I dislike is the metaphorical "we" in your recitals. I'd much rather read about what you experienced than what "black people in Memphis" experienced.
Re: “Visiting Memphis in 1940? Then Use This Guide.”
Oh! Only two dislikes so far.
The truth hurts, doesn't it? That is one thing about real history, you can't run and hide from it.
Re: “Visiting Memphis in 1940? Then Use This Guide.”
My Brother lived in Orange Mound. I remember, from visits to his house, the golf course. Of course I and my people were not allowed on the course.
Dancing season was closed during the summer because they didn't want to take business away from the pre-eminent pavillion in Memphis at the time. That was the McKellar park pavillion where they would dance to live music during the summer.
Loews palace, yes I remember it well and hated it. You see, colored, that is what we were called back then, had to go to the side and sit in the balcony. I remember it well. We used to sit in the balcaony, not to see the movie, but to pee in cups and throw it over the balcony onto the privaledged whites.
We, in the meantime had Beale Street, with the epicenter being Church Park. That is where we had our social functions, as well as our version of the fairgrounds and cotton carnival amusement park. We had 2 movies on Beale, the Old Daisey first, and then the New Daisey. There would be talent shows every wednesday night there. We also had the starlight revue every year at the old Martin Ballpark, Crump at Wellington, strecting all the way back to Broadway Coal and Ice on Lauderdale behind Booker T. Washington High School.
Yes, those were the good ole days; the days where you had the cream of the crop and we had the crap that was left over. Yes, those were the good ole days; the time when the penal farm was just that, a penal farm. Young colored males would be afraid to come out of the house during planting and harvest time. You see, the farmers around the penal farm needed labor to work their fields. The police would have what was clled the fall and spring roundup where colored males would be arrested for anything, contrived or true. You see they needed the extra labor to tend the crops at the penal farm and adjacent to it.
Please, do me and the 63% majority of the population of Memphis a favor and keep the good ole days to yourself. From where I was, those days were not so good, they were pure hell!
LOL
Re: “Visiting Memphis in 1940? Then Use This Guide.”
DANCING 'SEASON' at the Casino... was sponsored by the Memphis Park Commission which provided bandsor DJ music on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights during the Winter months. There was also two [horizontal] bars in the Men's Room, where we would occasionally sneak off during the dances to perform gymnastics. It was opened throughout the week, but no bands, just able to workout on the high-bar, or dance to the jukebox. Summer allowed us to be outside more in the evenings, so the Park Commission felt that it would shut down for the Summer, hence: 'seasonal' dancing...
Re: “Visiting Memphis in 1940? Then Use This Guide.”
You forgot Loew's Palace Theater..
Re: “Rainbow Lake and the Rainbow Rollerdrome”
I remember it well... in the Summers of the 1950's, we [brother & I] would be at the pool at 9am and leave at 4pm to beat the parents home; tired, hungry, sunburned and barefooted, we'd journey home. We had spent the whole day diving from the 3 boards there, even stepping from the high board to the low board [once splitting the low board from such]. Winter months provided roller skating for 2 sessions on Saturday mornings and 2 sessions on Sunday afternoons. We also had our 1958 Senior Prom [Messick High] there in the Terrace Room... double dated with John Snow, Janice ?? and Pat Jackson] all in John's fathers new 1957 Plymouth Fury]........wonderful memories
Albin Miller
Re: “Joseph Culligan: "The Iron Man of Memphis"”
Joe did live on the property at 4926 Old Summer and so did I in the late 1960's as a child in a rental property there. Both properties are gone now; just drove by there last week. The old shop in the back still stands. My father worked for him for several years. There were many heated conversations between him and my father. They were both "spirited" men. Mostly what I remember of Mr. Joe (That's what we called him) is that he was an old gray haired man with sort of a raspy voice. He also had a collie named Beulah and a nice white cadillac parked in the garage. True that Elvis gates were not built there but they were repaired there after someone ran into them with a car - I have picture of my dad standing beside the gates after he repaired them. I can think of several stories about the old place my dad (who is gone now) told over the years.
Re: “"All Aboard with Mr. Be"”
ahhh pouncey d. i can still hear his "I'm INSPIRED!!!!"
Re: “Bry's Department Store's 1927 "Sporting Goods"”
The Bry's garage is still on Front St. The store actually had 2 buildings with an alley between the two. As you entered on Front St, you could go thru and across the alley to the other building. The shoe dept was the 1st "dept" as you entered. They had an "X-Ray" machine to check proper fit of shoes! The main entrance was on Main St. The building was bought and enlarged by Lowenstein's, then became condos. 99 Tower's ,I believe. I still have my aunt's metal credit card from Bry's. Most of my school clothes came from Bry's, as well as Gerber's . Many good memories of that store.
THIS WEEK'S ISSUE
SPECIAL ISSUES
Re: “Best of Memphis”
You guys have it all wrong!
Silky O'Sullivan's ---BEST Pub, Best Patio, Best BBQ, Best bartender, THE MOST FUN........and your own "Silky" as the BEST EVER Ambassador for MEMPHIS!!!!
Posted by: Deirdre & Bob [IRL]